The Establishment: And How They Get Away With It

Behind our democracy lurks a powerful but unaccountable network of people who wield massive power and reap huge profits in the process. In exposing this shadowy and complex system that dominates our lives, Owen Jones sets out on a journey into the heart of our Establishment, from the lobbies of Westminster to the newsrooms, boardrooms, and trading rooms of Fleet Street and the City.

Extracted: Extracted, Book 1

In 2061 a young scientist invents a time machine to fix a tragedy in his past. But his good intentions turn catastrophic when an early test reveals something unexpected: the end of the world. A desperate plan is formed: recruit three heroes, ordinary humans capable of extraordinary things, and change the future.

Thinking, Fast and Slow

Daniel Kahneman, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for his seminal work in psychology challenging the rational model of judgment and decision making, is one of the world's most important thinkers. His ideas have had a profound impact on many fields - including business, medicine, and politics - but until now, he has never brought together his many years of research in one book.

The Confidence Game: The Psychology of the Con and Why We Fall for It Every Time

Con men are artists of persuasion and exploiters of trust. They hold a deep, enigmatic fascination for us. But how do they do it? Whether it's a suspicious-looking email or a multimillion-dollar global swindle, Maria Konnikova investigates the psychological principles that underlie each stage of the confidence game and the profile of both the con artist and his mark.

Amazon Customer says:"Great book for anyone who wants to understand con "

The Mammoth Book of the Jack the Ripper

This audiobook focuses on the countless theories that have been put forward with regard to the identity of the notorious Victorian serial killer and offers an extensive section presenting all the known facts in the case. It includes 30 essays by the most famous, often controversial Ripperologists putting forward their own theories. It remains one of the few audiobooks to offer a series of alternative solutions to Jack the Ripper's identity and the truth behind the Whitechapel murders.

Lilian Crossley says:"All you ever wanted to know about Jack the Ripper"

Fooling Houdini: Magicians, Mentalists, Math Geeks, and the Hidden Powers of the Mind

When Alex Stone was five years old, his father bought him a magic kit - a gift that would spark a lifelong love. Years later, while living in New York City, he discovered a vibrant underground magic scene exploding with creativity and innovation and populated by a fascinating cast of characters: from his gruff mentor, who holds court in the back of a rundown pizza shop, to one of the world's greatest card cheats, who also happens to be blind. Captivated, he plunged headlong into this mysterious world.

GeorgeW says:"A magical read"

Publisher's Summary

Handcuff King. Escape Artist. International Superstar. Since his death in 1926, Harry Houdini's life has been chronicled in books, in films, and on television. Now, in this groundbreaking biography, renowned magic expert William Kalush and best-selling writer Larry Sloman team up to find the man behind the myth. Drawing from millions of pages of research, they describe in vivid detail the passions that drove Houdini to perform ever-more-dangerous feats, his secret life as a spy, and a pernicious plot to subvert his legacy.

After years of struggling on the dime-museum circuit, Harry Houdini got a break that thrust him into the spotlight, performing for royalty and commanding vast sums. At a time when spy agencies frequently co-opted amateurs, Houdini went to London and developed a relationship with a man who would run MI-5; for the next several years, he traveled to Germany and Russia and routinely reported his findings. After World War I, Houdini set out to infiltrate and expose the seamy world of fake spirit mediums, triggering the wrath of a group of fanatical spiritualists led by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Death threats became an everyday occurrence, but the group would pose an even greater danger to Houdini's legacy.

As exciting as any good thriller, The Secret Life of Houdini traces the arc of the master magician's life from desperate poverty to worldwide legend and initiates the listener into the arcane world of professional magic.

William Kalush and Larry "Ratso" Sloman are two of the best non-fiction writers in the business. The written version of this book is outstanding. Unfortunatley the abridged audio version is not. In the future the publishers would be well served to release the written book and release the audio version when it is fully ready. This appears to be a hurried, not well thought out production.
The audio editor left out some of the most compelling interesting parts of Mr. Houdini's life and does nothing more than recount Mr. Houdini's public performances. This makes the audio version seem repetitive and monontous.
Too bad, very disappointing. I recommend waiting for the unabridged audio version or to read the written word.

63 of 66 people found this review helpful

.

Wisconsin

21/10/14

Overall

Performance

Story

"Very good, but wanted more."

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed this book. I learned a lot about Houdini that I didn't know. But this was an abridged book and I felt there were some things left out or overly summarized. I'll check out the unabridged version from the library.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

daniel a thompson

ORANGE, CA, US

28/11/12

Overall

Performance

Story

"Awesome !"

Would you listen to The Secret Life of Houdini again? Why?

Really interesting. So much I didn't know about him

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Secret Life of Houdini?

His battle with Sir Conan Dooyle

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

His story about flying a plane in Australia

Any additional comments?

highly recommend

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

Tim

17/04/17

Overall

Performance

Story

"Magical"

Greatly insightful look into the life of a master magician and psychic revealer. It is clear the authors did their homework right.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Mikael

01/01/17

Overall

Performance

Story

"Finished it in one day"

Can sincerely recommended this book! A good story with a good reader! As I said in the headline finished in one day, money well spent!

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Anthnony

VENICE, FL, United States

18/04/16

Overall

Performance

Story

"Great listen"

This story had enough detail about his life to keep you interested but not so much that it became boring. It was really interesting and kept me listening to the whole book on one long road trip.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Chad

Atlanta, GA, United States

16/05/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Absolutely Captivating"

A friend of mine recommended this book to me and it turned out to be awesome. especially the part about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle the author of Sherlock Holmes towards the end there certainly some sides of your day of the Houdini story probably never heard

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Harry Houdini

Los Angeles

15/05/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"long time Houdini fan"

I have been a longstanding Houdini fan. in fact, Houdini is my nick name since childhood. I was so influenced by him that I took up magic. Although I have read countless books on Houdini, I enjoyed this one. I especially like the information about the friendship and later rivalry with Conan Doyle. I also like the detailed explanation on Houdini's demise. People constantly argue that he died performing an illusion, or burst appendix or peritonitis.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

nikki

rockwall, TX, United States

29/05/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"It was a great listen"

I really enjoyed learning about Houdini and what he stood for. He had many talents and was extremely smart.

0 of 1 people found this review helpful

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